Malik Monk is Officially Malik Monk
Doug Christie is clearly a Hoop Enjoyer
Nearly a decade into his NBA career, Malik Monk has become himself.
Not in, like, a Confucianist way, though I won’t claim to know the religious leanings of the Sacramento Kings guard — I mean simply that Monk has finally turned into the most effective version of himself. And it’s a beautiful sight.
After scoring 31 versus the Knicks on Saturday at MSG, Monk is now averaging a career-high 18.0 points this season, thanks in large part to new Kings head coach Doug Christie, who’s called on Monk to handle, distribute, and score at a higher rate than he’s ever been asked to.
The result has been phenomenal — under Christie’s coaching, Monk is on the court more (35 minutes per game), scoring way more (22.4 points per game) and perhaps most notably, he’s finally able to distribute to his full ability, averaging 7.5 assists per game, 16th-most in the league over that stretch.
In his third season with the Kings, Monk’s role has been recast once again; this time, he’s transitioned from very good sixth man to very good starting combo guard and that upgrade has been successful, not because Monk has suddenly discovered a hidden part of his game that no one knew about, but because he’s merely being trusted with more responsibility, being asked to do what he’s always been good at… just a tad more frequently than in years past. High-volume offensive creator Malik Monk is here… let us rejoice!
Sacramento is Unlocking Monk
Some NBA players get labeled microwave scorer early in their careers, i.e. a player who can get you buckets in quick succession but might not be a reliable option every night. It’s hard to rebrand once they’ve been pigeonholed. That happened to Monk, even though for years it’s been obvious that he could bring more to a team than he was being asked to. In other words, there was still tons of meat on the bone, both from a creation standpoint and as a facilitator.
Well, Doug Christie is cleaning the wing. Hypothetically. He hasn’t bit Malik Monk as far as I know.
Lots of this growth is thanks to Monk simply having the ball more. How about that, huh? Before Christie took over, Monk was averaging about 58 touches per game. With Christie in charge, that number has leaped to 72, about a 25 percent increase.
I don’t want to make it seem like Mike Brown was misusing Malik Monk, though; Brown originally decided to start Monk, and his minutes were increasing before Brown was dismissed as coach.
Still — Christie has fully leaned into Monk as the Kings starting shooting guard and Monk has paid off that decision… with plenty more than just shooting.
Malik Monk Spreads the Love
I’ve long believed Monk to be one of the most underrated passers in the NBA — but his assist numbers were never eye-popping, so it was a tough argument to make. Now, the numbers have caught up to the eye test and I can make the argument all I want. Seriously, someone try to argue with me.
Monk’s dishes can be flashy; here, he rips down an offensive rebound and immediately whips to Domantas Sabonis for an easy layup. Pretty. He knew it was pretty, too — watch the hand stay up for a few seconds after the pass.
Sometimes Monk’s facilitation isn't flashy, but just as impactful. Making the unexciting, necessary pass is a big part of being an elite creator and Monk has done that over the past month. Here, he makes the right read on the fastbreak by shoveling the ball to Keon Ellis who converts the and-one.
Monk didn’t average over three assists per game until his sixth year in the NBA — but the passing chops have always been there. In year eight, that creation for others is finally on full display and it’s always a show.
So is Monk’s creation for himself, which is what made him a lottery pick in the first place.
Malik Monk’s Midrange (Mostly) Masterclass
As one of the most aesthetically pleasing players in basketball, I must admit that it’s pretty fun looking through Malik Monk film.
Monk’s shot-creation ability has always been thrilling, and in 2024-25, only 57% of Monk’s made baskets have been assisted, a number which alludes to Monk’s sublime shot-creation ability. He snakes around screens, slithers into the paint, keeps defenders firmly on his back, uses vertical and horizontal burst to cover air space as he attacks the basket. He’s a joy to watch both in the halfcourt and in transition.
Here, Monk brings the ball up court, navigates the Sabonis screen, sees the defender in the paint, so he deftly steps back with a behind-the-back dribble and knocks down a midrange jumpshot.
Speaking of midrange jumpshots, Monk is spurning those who believe the middy is dead by shooting more midrange jumpers than he ever has — 35% of his shot attempts have come from the midrange this season, and for good measure! He’s shooting nearly 50% on those attempts, also a career-high.
Monk is wiggly — is that a word anyone uses? — meaning his whole body always seems to be part of his moves. On this drive (the possession before the last clip) Monkuses the screen, but instead of taking the midrange jump shot, he slinks his way into the paint and finishes with a funky floater.
These two clips show what makes Monk so tough to stop when he gets rolling. He’s happy to challenge defenders by driving to the hoop, but is equally content pulling up for an efficient 16-footer. By the time you realize which route he’s decided on, it’s a little too late. And being late at all on Monk might be a death sentence, as his quickness and burst have always been top of the class.
It’s not always pretty, to be fair; sometimes Monk gets wild and does… stuff like this. His confidence in his ability sometimes transcends even his elite athleticism and the results are less-than-pleasing.
But a bit of overconfidence is far from a detrimental trait. As a coach, I’d rather my players think they’re going to make every shot — especially when they sometimes have games in which they kind of do make every shot.
Doug Christie Knows How It Feels
Monk has always been a good player — if you watched him in Sacramento the past two years you probably said wow that’s a good player at least once — but under Doug Christie, we’re seeing a fully unlocked Monk tasked with a bigger creation role in a high-flying offense. Finally!
That trust comes in part from Christie himself understanding how it feels to try and find a home — and role — in the NBA. After a 23-point performance from Monk on January 19th in a win against the Wizards, the new Kings head coach compared Monk to… himself.
To go from “basketball hell” to a place where players can build a foundation is a pretty drastic change. It’s still kind of basketball hell as long as Vivek is in charge — but Christie is right about Monk fully coming into himself in Sacramento, and it’s not without meaning that Christie likened Monk’s NBA journey to his own. Having a coach in your corner who understands the difficulties in developing early in a career must feel like a pretty massive breath of fresh air for Monk.
Christie, the 15-year NBA veteran, has not been shy in his praise of Monk. After a game earlier this month, he spoke about his belief and trust in the 27 year-old.
“Believe in yourself. I believe in you. You are a tremendous, fantastic player, and play through your mistakes… He’s just about as free as I’ve ever seen him and we’ll live with some of the things that he does and his greatness will continue to shine, because the kid is great.”
A complete shift in scenery
Malik Monk never got a fair shot in Charlotte. He’s not above reproach for that, as his play was inconsistent and at one time he violated the NBA’s drug policy, resulting in a lengthy suspension. The specifics of that suspension were never released, so I will not speculate.
But Monk never had a chance; he was, against his will, drafted into a beef between Hornets head coach Steve Clifford — who wanted the team to draft Donovan Mitchell with the 11th pick in 2017 — and owner Michael Jordan, who ignored Clifford’s plea and selected Monk instead.
There’s no hard evidence to prove this, but I believe in my heart that Clifford’s refusal to consistently give Monk minutes came out of spite toward Jordan for ignoring his draft advice.
To start an NBA career among drama he never asked for, with a franchise that gave him no chance to grow, and eventually find a coach who relates to his situation on a personal level… that’s about as big of an upgrade as Malik Monk could ask for.
Malik Monk has always had the talent to be a high-level starter in the NBA. Now he has a coach who sees the talent — as well as the person beyond the talent — and the results have been explosive. January 2025 has been the best month of Monk’s Kings tenure, and I’m pretty sure it’s not a fluke. The fully evolved version of Malik Monk is here to stay.
What I’m Listening to: Winter is for Lovers by Ben Harper
Rarely do I wish a 30-minute song was longer but… I wish this shit was longer! Mesmerizing, to say the least.
ALL STATS USED IN THIS ARTICLE ARE FROM NBA . COM AND CLEANING THE GLASS. ARTICLE PICTURE IS FROM YAHOO SPORTS.
MALIK IS ARABIC FOR KING 👑
He has lived many lives en route to his best one — long live Monk!